Three people died and a fourth was taken to a Boston hospital because of a carbon monoxide problem at a Plaistow, New Hampshire home, officials said. The home had a carbon monoxide detector, but no batteries in it.

AS HEATHER HAMEL REPORTS FROM PLAISTOW THE FIRE CHIEF SAYS THESE DEATHS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. THE FIRE CHIEF SAYS THIS IS TRAGIC. HE SAYS AND AVOIDABLE, HAD THERE JUST BEEN A WORKING CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR INSIDE THE HOME TO WAKE AND WARNING THE PEOPLE INSIDE. IT'S LIKE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET AND IT'S LIKE WE KNEW THEM. THEY WERE QUIET PEOPLE, AND IT IS A TRAGEDY. THREE PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES, AND ANOTHER IS IN THE HOSPITAL. THE PLAISTOW FIRE CHIEF SAYS THEY WERE CALLED TO 5 CENTER CIRCLE AROUND 11:30 TUESDAY MORNING TO DO A WELFARE CHECK. WHEN THEY WENT INSIDE THEY FOUND THREE PEOPLE IN THEIR BEDS, ALL UNRESPONSIVE. ONE WAS BREATHING AND RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL. EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SUSPECTED CARBON MONOXIDE APPROXIMATELY 400 PARTS PER MILLION, THAT'S 10 TIMES HIGHER THAN WHAT YOUR CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR WOULD NEED TO GO OFF. THERE WAS A DECK FOR IN IN THE RESIDENCE, BUT THE BATTERIES HAD BEEN REMOVED. FIRE OFFICIALS FOUND A FOURTH VICTIM WHO ALSO DIED. IT'S VERY SAD. NEIGHBORS SAY THE MAN WHO OWNED THE HOME WAS RECENTLY DIVORCED AND HAD ROOMMATES LIVING WITH HIM. RAYMOND SAYS HE WAS VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT HOW HE KEPT THE HOUSE, AND AS FOR NOT HAVING BATTERIES IN THE DETECTOR? CONSIDERING THE PIPE OF FERN HE WAS, HE WAS PRETTY UP ON THINGS, SO I'M PRICE SURPRISED. THE SOURCE OF THE CARBON MONOXIDE WAS A PROPANE FIRE HEATER, FEWS WERE GOING DIRECTLY INTO THE HOUSE. IT'S VERY TRAGIC. AGAIN, WHEN YOU SEE THAT THEY HAVE THE DETECTORS IN PLACE BUT THEY'VE BEEN DISABLED, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING, FREE VUS FREIGHTING TO KNOW THAT THE COST OF BATTERIES, YOU KNOW, THREE LIVES. HAVE BEEN LOST. THE FOURTH VICTIM IS STILL IN THE HOSPITAL, WE DO NOT KNOW HIS CONDITION. THE FIRE CHIEF SAYS HE HOPES THIS SERVES IS A WARNING TO OTHERS THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS AS WELL AS CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS, AND ALWAYS GET YOUR HEATING SYSTEM PROFESSIONALLY CHECKED ON A REGULAR BASIS.